Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Aims for World Cup Qualification Against DRC

By becoming the coach of the Moroccan national football team, Vahid Halilhodzic has set himself the mission of leading the team to the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup. The objective with the CAN has been achieved, even if the results were not what the technician had hoped for. Today, Morocco is at the door of a World Cup participation, but it will have to defeat the DRC on the 25th and 29th. Vahid Halilhodzic believes in it and wants to be the first coach to take four different national teams to the World Cup. Nevertheless, he is aware that nothing is won in advance.

"There are a few uncertainties, but I would like to achieve this exploit. For the moment, everything is going well. We have won all the qualifying matches in a convincing way. I have created a young group that has a lot of ambition, but you never know with the playoffs," said the coach.

Speaking still of the playoffs, he raised a few difficulties. "We are playing the first match on artificial turf with them. Everything is different when you change the playing surface. I still think we have the skills to come out on top."

For Vahid Halilhodzic, the current team is capable of great things. It has the means and the skills. "For the next eight years, these guys can still play together, because they are young and are advancing Moroccan football."

Regarding his participation in the CAN, the criticism that followed Morocco’s elimination in the quarter-finals, he stressed that all those who were part of the Moroccan delegation were saddened by this premature departure from the competition, yet so close to the goal. "We will use all these experiences to progress," he said.

As for the Ziyech situation, he maintains that respect for the national team must be a priority. "No player should be above the interests of the national team. That’s how I’ve behaved everywhere I’ve been a coach," he specified.